Clean Up Your Mess
by monkeygirl77
Summary: The day of The Fall, it wasn't the banishment that hurt most, it was losing his baby brother. Lucifer, overcome by the Mark, says extremely regrettable things to his beloved youngest brother. But maybe, just maybe, he'll get a second chance with him too. They all will.


Silence reigned in Heaven.

After being filled for so long with the thundering arguments of the eldest two Archangels and the clashing of such powerful graces against each other, silence finally reigned. Heaven was still, the only movement being that of a lesser angel leaning over every now and then to whisper to their partner as to what was to become of their Four Archangels.

It was no secret that being the eldest of the Family they were the ones whom everyone looked up to, and with all the fighting it was evident that the elders were no the only ones being affected.

Raphael had inverted on himself, keeping to himself and his own much of the days now.

Gabriel tried to keep them together but even he could see in the depth of certain nights that he was fighting a losing battle.

Tension as powerful as raw electricity floated through the air around every angel as they waited on baited breath to learn of the fate that would befall the Wayward Son. Father was angered beyond anything they had ever witnessed.

Lucifer, The Morning Star, The Wayward Son, sat in a single cell in Heaven's Prison. Leaning back against the cool stone walls with his head bowed to his chest he felt guilty for the things he had done. Wings, once bright and gleaming white, sagged against the floor. Feathers dulling with every second.

There had been a line that he had not dared cross, and yet he had.

He hadn't just sinned against his Parent, he'd done the most unthinkable.

Absentmindedly he swiped at a drop of blood leaking from his broken lip and rubbed in between his fingers.

Rage and Fear swarmed within him as the ever consuming battle with his Aunt raged on despite the situation he was placed in. Still, even after everything he had done, she whispered into his mind, twisting him and his thoughts to her will. She whispered ideas into his head of war and grandeur and revenge.

They were first! Who was He to tell them to bow to those lowly mud dwellers? They should be the ones bowing! Trembling in fear under their feet! They were unstoppable! The Angels were above them in every way! He should destroy them! Tear them piece by piece so He can feel their pain!

He shook his head, clenching his fist's tightly, trying to clear her cackles and vile words from his mind. She whispered back at his attempts, scratching away enraged from within him and he screamed. Scratching at his head until he could force her to be silent once more.

Lucifer shook his head. He did not hate the humans, sure, there was no love between him and them, but he had no hatred. If anything he was curious of them. For all their flaws that his dear aunt so kindly pointed out to him every chance she got, they were still favored by Father.

His eyes burned with barely concealed rage as his thoughts drifted to his dear older brother. Michael should have seen he was right. They were the perfect beings, the power behind the punches, why should they bend a knee for the puny humans. Hatred ran through his veins in the next moment, dark and vile, his role model and best friend, the one whom he trusted with his entire being had betrayed him. Michael had called him a monster! A freak! And for what?...Seeing the imperfections for what they were?

HIs knuckles cracked as he resisted the urge to lash out at something, anything.

Frost spread across the floor freezing everything in its path as rage took over his fear. Amara whispered still, ever talking in his mind, feeding him her anger. Corrupting and twisting. He took a breath and screamed out in agony, turning and plowing both fists into the wall behind him, bending forward to lean his forehead against the frost covered stone.

Feet padded across the chilled floors softly, and he was too distracted with his internal struggle to catch it.

A voice, so achingly familiar floated towards him from behind.

"Brr Luci! Winter coming early this year?", A voice from behind commented as the new angel took in the sight of the shattering ice and spreading frost creeping along the walls and floors. "I know you don't really like the Autumn but I thought that Raphy was finally allowed to have his turn?"

The familiar mischief that always accompanied everything he spoke soaked in and Lucifer turned.

"Gabriel.", His beloved baby brother. So golden and so much better then all of them, Gabriel stared at him with his usual shining smile. A frown formed on his lips despite the overwhelming happiness that washed over his grace to have his brother visiting him in such a place.

His precious spec of gold.

He would always remember the day he found little Gabriel swaddled in a golden blanket next to him in the Garden as he woke from his nap. He'd wrapped them all around his littlest finger within the first few moments.

In place of the joyful smile, a sadder one took hold as he leaned into the bars more, reaching around them carefully, "Dad and Mike have been talking for a long time." He looked down and Lucifer found himself stuck in his spot simply able to stare. "I know...I hate seeing you behind these bars, Brother. You didn't...It wasn't your fault and surely they have to know that?"

Gabriel would never change. He was still the one and only angel who believed him. Trusted him and loved despite everything he had done. Even as a fledgling, Lucifer had not been exactly all to ready to care for another and had had many slipups, but Gabriel always came back. He couldn't say anything, he wouldn't, for fear he might say something that would hurt the angel whom he had always cherished so much, the whom he'd raised and doted on for always.

"Maybe...Maybe if you apologized...WE could go back to the way things had been...Us four against the world, remember?...Apologize and-"

Anger seized him before he could stop it, "And what? Go back to the way things were? That's how your story ends? Apologize for being right? Give in and admit defeat when I've already won? Just so that you can be happy?"

The voices were back. She was whispering again. Urging him and feeding him. A light in his eyes appeared that had Gabriel taking a breath and swallowing as it was a light he had seen once before and he knew whom it belonged to. The most sinister grin he ahd ever seen appeared on his brother's face.

"So you don't have to see us fight anymore?"

"No-no...I just-"

"There are other angels besides yourself Gabriel," Lucifer was glaring at him with glowing eyes and Gabriel took a step back at the waves of rage and darkness rolling from the once cooling and comforting grace he remembered his brother having, his retreat only added to Lucifer's fire though and something evil took him over. "What ever is the matter little one? Are you not an Archangel? Upset that everything is falling apart around you? Father not doing what His beloved Little Messenger wants?"

Gabriel sucked in a breath to hold his tears from falling. This thing in front of him was not his brother anymore. His brother would never say such things.

"S-snap out of it Luci. This..This isn't you."

There was a shake in his voice and he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or his brother of that truth. Lucifer glowered at him smiling at the shine of tears forming in the whiskey eyes. The catch in his brother's voice. His grace flickered and shrank away from his.

His words had hurt.

"What? Can't face the truth?", Lucifer shook his head at the Messenger, "And stop calling me that stupid rendition you have given my actual name! How many times have I told you to call my appropriately? You are no Archangel Gabriel. I agree, Michael agrees, even Raphael thinks so."

Gabriel shook his head backing up another step. Tears finally falling free from his eyes. He almost tripped over his dulling golden wings he backtracked so harshly.

"You...You don't mean that...You're not well..."

Lucifer rushed forward suddenly. Gabriel screamed and fell over backwards as he jumped away. His brother rammed into the bars hard enough to knock dust from the rock above him and he reached out for the Messenger.

"Not well? I feel fine Gabby! Better than fine! I've been wanting to say these things for eons! You were always our runt! Such a needy little thing, a disappointment for an Archangel. I cared for you because I had to. The moment I was able to be rid of you was the moment I was the happiest! I couldn't stand you! Always whining and crying and needing!"

Gabriel's entire world collapsed around him as his beloved big brother, his hero, said such things. He crawled back as his lower lip began to quiver and he shook his head harshly.

"No...No...You-"

Lucifer was far too gone though, the mark having taken control now and Amara taking him over as hers. She cackled in his head, whispering and clawing away painfully. He laughed darkly as she laughed, leaning closer to the bars to peer over his brother.

"You are a nobody Gabriel. You are no Archangel. You have no place. We should have been rid of you long ago. Unwanted and burdensome. Honestly, I don't think anyone would notice if you simply ceased. Nor would they care. Another flaw finally free'd of in the long run."

Gabriel looked up at him with wide eyes, tears making the bright gold shine duller. His mouth was agape and breathing was a seeming harder task then it had once been. His mind was in shambles as he tried to comprehend this, his race no better. The pain hit Lucifer like a full force storm, hard enough to knock his Aunt down for a few moments and for him to gain control again.

Shaking his head it took him a moment to realize whom the soft cries were coming from and when he finally recognized them his eyes widened in shock at what had just happened. Falling to his knees he reached through the bars of the cell for the younger archangel.

"Gabriel? Gabe? What happened?"

He froze when his beloved baby brother flinched away from him. Gabriel scooted back, away from his outstretched fingers, rubbing his nose on the outside of his robe sleeve. It took merely a moment for him to realize what he had done, what had happened, and he felt true agony for the first time in his existence in knowing he was the reason that his beloved baby brother was so broken on the floor.

"Gabby? Little One? What did I say?"

Gabriel shook his head, turning away from him and burying himself in his golden wings. Lucifer sagged agaisnt the bars with his hand outstretched for his beloved brother.

"I didn't mean it! None of it! Trust me! Please Gabby? Please!"

The younger archangel made no move of acknowledgement as he spoke. His wings quaked with the force of his sobs. Lucifer felt horrid, it had always been him whom had comforted away the tears, never before had he been the reason for them to exist.

"Gabby please! I'm sorry! So so sorry!"

He was not above begging, The Mark might be, but Lucifer was not.

Slowly Gabriel unwrapped himself from his wings and stumbled to his feet. Wiping at the tears still falling with his sleeve the younger shook his head sadly. Lucifer never knew what suffocation felt like, the loss of one's ability to breathe. But as he watched with wide eyes as little Gabriel turned heel and ran from the jail he suddenly found himself choking on the air around him.

And he slumped against the bars of the cell and sobbed.

The next morning had been an early one. Two Guards had awoken him before the sun had even come up banging against the metal bars of his cell. They fell silent as anothr entered the room, standing at attention, well trained. He did not need to look up to know whom it was that had stepped up to the side of his cell.

"Lucifer."

"Michael."

His older brother regarded him with something akin to pity. He ignored it though having more pressing matters on his mind at the moment. They stared at each other as Michael held a hand out towards one of the two that had come with him.

"Collar."

A golden collar was passed between soldier and commander and he watched with wide eyes as his brother came into his cell with the collar in hand. Lucifer backed away as far as he could go. This is not what happened last time and that scared him.

Though they weren't the same as they had once been Michael's hands were gentle as he bent his head forward to clasp the collar around his neck. He felt light headed all of a sudden, his world spinning around him, and he wobbled where he stood.

The collar damped his grace, he was weaker than he'd ever been.

Michael paid it no mind though, "Manacles."

They were passed up into his waiting hand and clamped down around his wrists. Chains were ordered for lastly and he was tethered and lead from his cell. The Parade was a long one and every angel in Heaven stood along the path to catch a glimpse of the Morning Star being lead to his fate.

The two leading him from behind came to a stop at the gates. Forced to kneel before his family as Michael turned his back to him. In that moment he took a moment to look around at the crowd trying to find a single angel in the masses.

He spotted Balthazar and Castiel.

There was Raphael.

But no sight of Gabriel, and his heart dropped even further.

His older brother turned back around, staff in hand, and looked down at him pointedly his gaze stern.

"Lucifer, Second of Heaven, you have been brought forth for the crimes of wickedness and sin. You have twisted Lilith's soul into the formation of your first demon, and tempted Eve in sin. For your crimes you are found guilty of treason against Heaven and Father."

Amara was being oddly silent now. No longer was she whispering into his mind. This was his punishment and his alone.

"You shall be cast away, out of Heaven's Warmth and Father's glory. Locked in a cage in the deepest pits of Hell locked with 600 seals, only with the breaking off 66 of them should you have the ability to walk free once more."

His eyes widened as he thought through everything he had just been told. Cast Away? Caged like some animal? Where was Father? Surely Michael had heard wrong! Surely!

Finding his voice was a task easier said than done.

"W..What? Cast away?...Caged?...No Michael...Surely you heard wrong..."

A silence fell over the crowd as Lucifer's voice drifted through the masses.

Michael looked down at him silently for a moment before kneeling down. Lucifer resisted the urge to flinch as his brother placed a hand on his shoulder. No longer was he Michael, the Commander of the Host, he was Michael, his older brother whom raised him and loved him.

"I'm sorry brother, but it is what Father ordered and I am a good son."

There are few who can say that they have shocked him into silence but Michael hold's that title undefeated. He was lifted to his feet in the next moment and had not even realized he had fallen to his knees until that moment. Being lead to the edge beyond the gates took much longer then it had any other time he'd made this walk.

"Any last words Lucifer?"

He turned quickly, peering up at his older brother in alarm.

"Gabriel? Where's Gabriel?"

Michael shook his head looked confused, "We do not know. I have patrols looking for him. He has not been seen since last night."

That had been the last thing he'd heard from his brother before he was pushed over the edge.

And he fell.

Knowing that he was the reason that his baby brother was missing.

...

Being pulled from the cage is much more different of a feeling then it is being put into it. Not as painful nor as frightening.

You're simply there and then you're not.

A bright flash filled the cage filling every corner. Warming the cage with a warmth that the two beings only remembered ever feeling in one place, from one person.

There was no words that were spoken. No sounds made. No real movements.

But the message was clear for the two of them and it was the same message.

Clean up your mess.

The last time that Lucifer had seen his youngest brother had been on that fateful day that he had run his own sword through him.

Michael was not much better, his had to be the day before he had been forced to cast his brother from Heaven.

It did not come as a surprise when Raphael's last memory of seeing their youngest brother was much later after theirs. While him and Lucifer had been close it was not surprising that Raphael and him would have been just as close considering their much smaller age gap.

But it did come as a shock when they both ended up in the same house.

All three exchanged looks.

"Clean up your mess?"

Michael nodded, "That is what we heard too."

The door on the other side of the room slammed open and someone stumbled inside. A bottle of something fell to the floor spilling out over the carpet. Raphael sniffed the air making a face of disgust and irritation at the stench of strong alcohol.

Had anyone sober been looking in the direction of the eldest two archangels they would have laughed as the same exact look crossed both of their features.

Gabriel took one step and promptly struggled to not fall flat on his face.

He stumbled across the floor smiling as if he had just figured out the most important question concerning Life. Lucifer frowned when his brother tripped over his own feet and fell forward into Raphael. The Healer, though clearly annoyed beyond himself at such a thing, caught him anyway.

He sniffed again glaring down at his brother.

"Gabriel, are you...Drunk?"

A blanket of silence fell over them as Gabriel stared up at his older brother in what appeared to be deep deep contemplation.

"No."

This cued a raised eyebrow from his currant anchor to stay standing.

"Are you sure, little brother?"

"Ppppssssssssstttttttt...Maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"Yes, I am way way super very much drunk at this time and it feels sooooo goooooddddd!"

Gabriel grinned up at his older brother, something in his eyes twinkling much too happily. Raphael watched him carefully as he reached a hand up to pet at his hair.

"Brooooo, your hair is so soft! Like a bunny! I fuzzzy soft bunny! So soft..."

Reaching a hand up the older archangel took his younger's in his grasp and pulled it away. Gabriel swung his hand back and forth entertained by the motion for a moment. Raphael pulled his hand down making sure to keep it away from his head just in case he might reach for it again. Gabriel was distracted though, stareing over at Michael as if he was the greatest thing in the world.

Pushing away from Raphael he stumbled his way over to his oldest brother. Michael caught him as he tripped, again, and held him steady. Gabriel reached up grinning madly and poked at his brother's cheek.

"Michaaa you sparkle!"

He squealed excitedly as if that was the most amazing discovery in the world.

"What?"

"You SPARKLE! Like Edward Cullen! You sparkle like a twilight vampire!"

Gabriel rubbed a finger down his brothers cheek and looked completely broken when there was no 'sparkle' on his finger when he looked. Michael tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"No sparkles came off..."

They were unsure as to what they were meant to say to such things and therefore left it uncommented on. Gabriel rubbed a finger over his cheek again, over his nose, across his other cheek, and still no sparkles came forward.

He looked completely downtrodden by it and Michael did not have the heart to be annoyed at such things. Gabriel looked up at him with a glare, or what he assumed was meant to be a glare but as it was becoming ever apparent his youngest brother was an absolutely ridiculously creepy happy drunk, but he did not mind in the slightest when he pushed away from him in a huff and stumbled his way over to Lucifer.

And tripped.

For the third time that night.

Lucifer just barely had to jump to catch their youngest brother in order to keep him from faceplanting on the floor.

He did not expect his youngest brother to smile up at him as brightly as ever, wagging his eyebrows at him, and run a hand over his chest.

"Luci...I just...I just fell for you!"

"What?"

"And you caught me!"

Lucifer looked torn between blushing and gawking, but made no comment on the matter brought forward. Gabriel took it as a good sign and brushed a few fingers over his jaw line.

"Guess what!"

He almost dreaded to ask, "What?", he sighed.

"It didn't hurt when I fell for you!"

"When you-"

"You're so strong. And pretty."

"Pretty?"

"So pretty. And shiny. And bright. And..." He giggled, "cool."

Yep, that was the final straw, they were done here. Praise, he can handle, adoration is another thing he can handle. But the corny untasteful jokes is where he draws his line. Lucifer ducks fluidly and sweeps an arm up under his brothers knees lifting him cleanly from the floor.

Gabriel hums happily wrapping his arms around his brothers neck as best as he can and cuddles closer. Lucifer merely sighes again and turns in the direction he guesses his brothers bedroom to be in. No matter, he'll pass out soon enough and at that point he.

"Alright, we've all had a fun time tonight, definitely gonna do it again sometime, but I think it's time for you to sleep it off."

Michael raised his chin slightly and the smile that crossed his features made Lucifer want to punch him in the nose.

"I thought you would enjoy being called pretty, Lucifer."

"Shut up Michael."

"Wait! Waaaiiiitttt! I want Micha! Micha too!"

"No Gabriel. We are going to get you changed and into bed."

"But! But! But! I am perfectly capable of changing myself oh bright one!"

Before any of them could stop their youngest brother, he snapped his fingers. Lucifer was accustomed to his brothers spontanious acts and did not falter when he suddenly felt too much skin on the arm supporting his brothers legs.

Gabriel waved his arms around and did not seem to care about the fact his brothers all sighed in unison.

"See! I'm not too drunk! I can still take my shirt off!"

The shirt he now wore drowned him in its size. He giggled at the soft fabric and how it fit him like a dress.

"That's very good Gabriel, you better be wearing underwear, and that's Michael's shirt."

Michael huffed behind them, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Raphael smiled but concealed the snort.

Lucifer barked an entire laugh.

…

Gabriel groaned as his head rocked, his brain pounded within his skull and he swears the universe is out to get him because usually the hangovers are not this bad and go away pretty quickly the following morning and he usually counts it as one of his perks of being an Archangel.

And it usually works every time but this one.

"Well, of course it hurts, where would be the lesson if we merely let you heal right up?"

He recognizes that voice, he'd recognize it anywhere, and he can't keep the groan that breaks at the voice from coming through.

"Why are you here? And why are you shouting?"

"We are here little brother because as it would seem Father does not approve of your current behavior and places the blame for your actions on us. And we are not shouting small one."

Gabriel thinks that Dad hates him. It's a definite possibility.

"Yeah, sure, blame game, gotcha. What are you doing here then?"

"We share the same reason for being here little brother, now let me see your wings so I can give them a proper grooming I am sure you have been neglecting to do so."

Lucifer turns a grin over on Michael suddenly, "I wonder if he still mews when you scratch at that one spot between his wings?"

"No better way to find out."

Gabriel struggles to wrap his mind around the unfolding situation and even more so to push himself up. If they thought that he was just going to sit here and le-

"I would not move too much, brother, you are still very much—what do the humans call it?-hungover."

And as if this day couldn't get any worse, this guy had to be here too? Seriously? 'Dad what have I ever done to you!'

"Well, since you asked, He was quite worried when you up and vanished one day."

"You just have an answer for everything, don't you?"

Raphael grinned down at him, something he couldn't remember seeing for a long while and something he was sure he wouldn't remember come tomorrow either.

"You were much more pleasant last night, little brother."

"Please tell me I didn't say anything!"

Gabriel collapsed back into his pillow when his older brothers merely chuckled. Honestly, despite the embarrassing situation he was being presented with, it had been a long time since they had all four been together in a room like this; no yelling, no fighting. Just four brothers enjoying each others presence.

The Morning Star grinned from where he was struggling to coax his brother's wing closer, "Well, you didn't say much," He shared a look with Heaven's Prince, "You did tell Michael that he—what was it—sparkled."

Their Messenger groaned again. Michael, though it was a small one, smiled back at the second.

"That may be so, but as I remember it, he fell for you."

Raphael chuckled to his left, "And it was a completely harmless fall."

"What can I say, I'm that special."

"You're something brother, definitely something."

Gabriel attempted to bury himself deeper into his bed, away from their teasing.

It wasn't working.

"Oh ha ha laugh it up, I seem to remember him calling you a bunny."

"A fuzzy bunny, to be specific."

Now, he never saw it, but Gabriel heard someone get smacked upside the head. Lucifer cackled and Raphael snorted, Michael grunted.

A hand pet through his hair, "But like I said, you didn't say much."

He heard someone sigh next to his head, and Gabriel turned only just until he was stopped by one of his brothers legs. Raphael was sitting up next to his head, a hand petting at his hair. Though he refused to alieve him of his headache (trust him, he asked) the gentle petting helped more then simply laying there did.

"Come now little brother, do as you're told, release your wings or I will do it for you."

He would too. Raphael, as the Healer, had the power to make anyone do anything he wanted. Gabriel turned slightly, burrowing into his brother's leg, but did as he was told. Michael and Lucifer both sat back as the golden wings flared before settling down.

Fingers worked between the feathers on his wings, and his brother brushed his hair back.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Gabriel gave a sigh, it had been forever since he had been treated like their baby. He'd always been the youngest, the baby of the Archangels, and they had always doted on him like this.

It used to like this.

"Go back to sleep, _parum fecit malum_."

Raphael traced shapeless patterns across his temple, his system overcome with a spreading warmth, next thing he knows he's slowly shutting his eyes and sleep is overcoming his thoughts.

"…'top...'s not fair.."

There's a breathy chuckle somewhere behind him, and another hand gives his hair a gentle ruffle.

"Life isn't fair, baby brother."


End file.
